Shipper container



. June 30, 1959 w. L. MORRISON SHIPPER CONTAINER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 12, 1955 5y far/5???? ('arfer .Ittarn eys June 30, 1959 w. L. MORRISON 2,892,563

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SHIPPE-R CONTAINER Filed Oct. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 v I770nf0r 4 iii/Zara Z. Jforrziswz by Parfierf ('arfer of the liner and the container.

SHIPPER CONTAINER Willard L. Morrison, Lake Forest, 11]., assignorto The Union'Stock Yard and Transit Company of Chicago, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application October 12, 1955, Serial No. 540,028

8 Claims. (Cl. 220-45) My invention relates to improvements in insulated container and is especially well adapted for use in connection with shipper containers of such size and shape as to be conveniently portable or shippable for use-in connection with the storage and shipment of foodstufis and similar perishable articles which have been chilled, usually far below zero degrees F.

One object of my invention is to provide a shipper container which will be inexpensive to manufacture, durable, have high insulation value and will contain foodstuffsand the like with minimum dislocation or damage.

Other objects will appear from time to time throughout thespecification and claims.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a shipper container embodying my invention showing the container filled with material and closed;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detail section similar to Figure 1 showing. a modified form;

Figure 4 is a detail part section and perspective.

1 indicates the outside wall or shell of a shipper container; 2 a liner therefor. 3 indicates the bottom wall of the shell. and 4 the shell of the liner.

5 and 6 are parallel,.thin, spaced sheets of plywood or other suitable material, spaced apart by a plurality of vertical dowels 7 of wood or other material oflow heat conductivity, the axes of which being perpendicular to the planes of the sheets. These dowels may be glued in place and socketed in pockets 8. The sheets 5 and 6 aresubstantially of the same size and shape as the floor 4 of the liner. 9 is a fabric wrapper enclosing the space between the outer peripheries of sheets 5 and 6. 10 is any suitable light, more or less granular, flaky or fibrous insulating material, completely filling the space between the sheets 5 and 6 enclosed by the fabric wrapper 9. Themattress thus formed is placed on the bottom 3 of the housing and the liner is then placed on the mattress.

The peripheral space between the outer periphery of the mattress and the shell is filled with similar insulating material as at 11, up to the level of the floor 4 upwardly from the inner peripheries of the tops of the walls'of the liner to the outer peripheries of the tops of the shell. The triangular space between the upper boundaries of the vmattresses and the inclined sheets is also .filled with the insulation 13a.

The diagonal plates prevent upwardmovement of'liner in the shell and present a path of maximum extentfor'heat' travel between'the wall Nowhere else in any .part of the assembly is there any continuous body of structural material extending between the shell and liner 2,892,563 Patented June 30, 1959 "ice 2 walls except'for the widely spaceddowels interposed between theplates holding the dowels in position. I

When the shipper container is to be used, it will be filled with food,,preferably though not necessarily, already frozen. This food is then chilled to very low temperature by any suitable means, forming no part of the present invention. Sufficev it to say that the temperature will be far below zero degrees F. The liner will be filled up to the top. After; the food has been chilled, the space between the top off the food mass and the top of the outer shell wall will be filled with a plurality of relatively soft compressible insulating pillows 14 made up of any suitable fabric withthe soft fluffy or granular insulation therein. These pillows 14 are then compressed into the space between the foodstufis below the level of thetop of; the wall of the shell by the cover 15 which is flanged at16 to overlie the outer wall ofv the shell and is locked in place by any suitable means, for example, latches 17.

Thecover may be reinforced by cross bars 15a which arelaid on the pillows before the cover is applied, the cover holding them down at their ends, the bars reinforcing the cover. The. bars may be integral with the cover but if separate, cover and bars may be more easily handled.

In the modified form of Figure 3, the filler plates 13 are omitted. A mattress 18 of the same general character as the mattresses on sides and bottom overlies the liner and the insulation filling the entire space between the top of the liner and the top of the shell and between the side'walls of the shell. A central port19 is open verticallythrough the mattress in register respectively with ports 20 and21 in the top of the shell and the liner respectively, their tops 22, 23 beinginwardly extended from their respective vertical walls. insulating pillows may be used to fill the space within the port in mattress 18 the contents of the liner and the removable cover 24 being held in place by-clampsZS. The 'mattressfls holds the liner, the side insulation and the contents of the liner in place.

I claim:

1. A shipper container including a rectangular metallic casing, a rectangular metallic liner therefor, top, bottom and side walls of liner and casing being parallel and spaced from one another, a plurality of rigid, self-supporting mattresses interposed between the walls, the thickness of each mattress equalling the spaces between such Walls, each mattress being co-extensive with the liner wall which it contacts, themattresses comprising parallel rigid plates, a multiplicity of spacers perpendicular thereto and v of non-conducting material, loose'insulating material filling the voids about the spacers between the plates, flexible insulating fabric panels bounding each mattress between the outer edges of the plates, loose. insulating material filling the corner spaces between the edges of adjacent mattresses and the wall of the casing.

2. A shipper container including a rectangular metallie casing, a rectangular metallic liner therefor, top, bottom and side walls of liner andcasing being parallel and spaced from one another, a-plurality of rigid, self-supporting mattresses interposed between the walls, the thickness of each mattress equalling the spaces between such walls, each mattress being co-extensive with the liner wall which it contacts, the mattresses comprising parallel rigid plates,

a multipicity of spacers perpendicular thereto and of non- 1 sulating fabric panels bounding, each mattress between the outer edges of the plates, loose insulating material 'fillingthe corner spaces between the edges of adjacent mattresses andthe wall of the casing, and generally out of contact'with'the liner'wall. i

3. A shipper container including a rectangular metallic casing, a rectangular metallic liner therefor, top, bottom and side walls of liner and easing being parallel and spaced from one another, a plurality of rigid, self-supporting mattresses interposed between the walls, the thickness of each mattress equalling the spaces between such walls, each mattress being co-extensive with the liner wall which it contacts, the mattresses comprising parallel rigid plates, a multiplicity of spacers perpendicular thereto and of non conducting material, loose insulating material filling the voids about the spacers between the plates, flexible insulating fabric panels bounding each mattress between the outer edges of the plates, loose insulating material filling the corner spaces between the edges of adjacent mattresses and the wall of the casing, the top wall of liner and casing being apertured in register one with the other, the mattress interposed between these walls being apertured in register with the aperture in the walls, a removable cover for said aperture.

4. A shipper container including a rectangular metallic casing, a rectangular metallic liner therefor, top, bottom and side walls of liner and casing being parallel and spaced from one another, a plurality of rigid, self-supporting mattresses interposed between the walls, the thickness of each mattress equalling the spaces between such walls, each mattress being co-extensive with the liner wall which it contacts, the mattresses comprising parallel rigid plates, a multiplicity of spacers perpendicular thereto and bounding each mattress between the outer edges of the plates, loose insulating material filling the corner spaces between the edges of adjacent mattresses and the wall of the casing, the liner being'open at the top, terminating below the top of the casing, a removable cover for the casing, an inclined wall extending upwardly from the top of the liner toward and contacting the casing adjacent the top thereof, loose insulating material closing the triangular space between the inclined wall, the upper boundary of the mattresses enclosing the liner and the casing wall, a multiplicity of loose pillows having no structural strength, filling the spaces between the cover and the plane of the top of the liner.

7. A shipper container including a rectangular metallic casing, a rectangular metallic liner therefor, bottom and side walls of liner and casing being parallel and spaced from one another, a plurality of rigid, self-supporting mattresses interposed between the walls, the thickness of each mattress equalling the spaces between such walls, each mattress being co-extensive with the liner wall which it contacts, the mattresses comprising parallel rigid plates, a multiplicity of spacers perpendicular thereto and of non-conducting material, loose of non-conducting material, loose insulating material 1111- V 7 ing the voids about the spacers between the plates, flexible insulating fabric panels bounding each mattress between the outer edges of the plates, loose insulating material filling the corner spaces between the edges of adjacent mattresses and the wall of the casing, the top wall of liner and casing being apertured in register with the other, the mattress interposed between these walls being apertured in register with the aperture in the walls, a removable cover for said aperture, a multiplicity of loose, insulating pillows without structural strength filling the spaces within the aperture between the cover and the plane of the top wall of the liner.

5. A shipper container including a rectangular metallic casing, a rectangular metallic liner therefore, bottom and side walls of liner and easing being parallel and spaced from one another, a plurality of rigid, self-supporting mattresses interposed between the walls, the thickness of each mattress equalling the spaces between such walls, each mattress being co-extensive with the liner wall which it contacts, the mattresses comprising parallel rigid plates, a multiplicity of spacers perpendicular thereto and of non-conducting material, loose insulating material filling the voids about the spacers between the plates, flexible insulating fabric panels bounding each mattress between the outer edges of the plates, loose insulating material filling the corner spaces between the edges of adjacent mattresses and the wall of the casing, the liner being open at the top, terminating below the top of the casing, a removable cover for the casing, an inclined wall extending upwardly from the top of the liner toward and contacting the casing adjacent the top thereof, loose insulating material closing the triangular space between the inclined 'wall, the upper boundary of the mattresses enclosing the liner and the casing wall.

6. A shipper container including a rectangular metallic casing, a rectangular metallic liner therefor, bottom and side walls of liner and casing being parallel and spaced from one another, a plurality of rigid, self-supporting mattresses interposed between the walls, the thickness of each mattress equalling the spaces between such walls, each mattress being co-extensive with the liner wall which it contacts, the mattresses comprising parallel rigid plates, a multiplicity of spacers perpendicular thereto and of non-conducting material, loose insulating material filling the voids about the spacers between the plates, flexible insulating fabric panels insulating material filling the voids about the spacers between the plates, flexible insulating fabric panels bounding each mattress between the outer edges of the plates, loose insulating material filling the corner spaces between the edges of adjacent mattresses and the wall of the casing, the liner being open at the top, terminating below the top of the casing, a removable cover for the casing, an inclined wall extending upwardly from the top of the liner toward and contacting the casing adjacent the top thereof, loose insulating material closing the triangular space between the inclined wall, the upper boundary of the mattresses enclosing the liner and the casing wall, a multiplicity of loose pillows having no structural strength, filling the spaces between the cover and the plane of the top of the liner, cross members on the underside of the cover reinforcing it and in contact with the pillows.

8. A shipper container including a rectangular metallic casing, a rectangular metallic liner therefor, top, bottom and side walls of liner and easing being parallel and spaced from one another, a plurality of rigid, selfsupporting mattresses interposed between the walls, the thickness of each mattress equalling the spaces between such walls, each mattress being co-extensive with the liner wall which it contacts, the mattresses comprising parallel rigid plates, a multiplicity of spacers perpendicular thereto and of non-conducting material, loose insulating material filling the voids about the spacers between the plates, flexible insulating fabric panels bounding each mattress between the outer edges of the plates, loose insulating material filling the corner spaces between the edges of adjacent mattresses and the wall of the casing, the mattresses providing the sole means for supporting the liner and preventing lateral displacement of the liner within the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 767,622 Abderhalden Aug. 16, 1904 786,999 Rounseville Apr. 11, 1905 1,147,650 Scudder July 20, 1915 1,825,022 Summers Sept. 29, 1931 1,984,261 Foy Dec. 11, 1934 2,040,399 Nauert May 12, 1936 2,073,981 Woodrutf Mar. 16, 1937 2,242,335 Yoximer May 20, 1941 2,521,080 Morrison Sept. 5, 1950 2,526,036 Morrison Oct. 17, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 527,175 Great Britain Oct. 3, 1940 

